How Often Should You Replace Pillows?

When you think about your bed, pillows may not seem as important as a mattress. However, they have a very important role to play.

Using the right pillow will ensure your head and neck are supported throughout the night, guaranteeing a good night’s sleep and no neck pain or stiffness when you wake up.

Given enough time, though, every pillow, no matter how great it is, will stop giving you that much-needed support. And that will mean it is time to find a replacement.

 

Why Should You Replace Your Pillow?

Supporting a heavy head every night for an extended period of time eventually wears out the pillow. However, this is not the only reason to replace your pillow regularly. Your body is constantly shedding dead skin cells, hair and body oil.

When you lie down on the pillow, it absorbs everything you release, which then build up over time. This will cause your pillow to smell. You can remedy this by washing your pillow regularly.

However, even if you do, the micro-ecosystem of a pillow naturally attracts dust mites. They will inevitably grow in the pillow, multiply and add extra weight to it, making it lose its ability to stay supportive. Luckily, dust mites are not dangerous to the human body.

However, can you imagine billions of tiny creatures living in your pillow and feeding on your dead skin every night? Plus, if you have allergies, dust mites can make them flare up and worsen the symptoms, especially at night.

 

Signs You Should Replace Your Pillow..

There are several signs you need to look out for if bad nights sleep are causing you to miss out on your beauty sleep that will let you know it is time to get rid of that pillow:

• If you notice lumps in the filler materials or the foam in the pillow
• If you notice permanent stains on the pillow from body oil and sweat
• If you wake up in pain, with your body aching especially at the neck or shoulder regions
• If you wake up fatigued due to constant aches and pains interrupting your sleep patterns
• If you wake up with headaches or if you develop tension headaches in the course of your day
• If you have a feather pillow, constantly having to re fluff it to get comfortable is a sign that it needs replacing
• If you have allergic reactions or you wake up sneezing due to dust mites. People with allergies generally need to replace their pillows more often than people who do not have allergies.
• If you have a feather pillow, try folding it in half. If it stays that way and does not unfold immediately you let go, it is time to replace it.
• Sometimes your doctor can recommend changing your pillows.
• Changing your sleeping position also requires a pillow with new specifications. For example, if you change from sleeping on your side to your back, you need a pillow with a different height to keep your head, neck and spine aligned.

 

So When Should You Replace Your Pillow?

The big question has always been this:

how long can a new pillow last?

The actual answer depends on a variety of factors, such as the overall quality and materials used. However, to be on the safe side, always get a new pillow every one or two years.

Here is a list of average lifespans of different types of pillows, from most durable to least durable:

Type Of Pillow	Life Span
Latex Pillows	3-4 Years
Buckwheat	3 Years
Feather	18-36 Months
Memory Foam	18-36 Months
Down	2 Years
Synthetic Down	18-24 Months
Polyester	6-24 Months

How To Maintain Your Pillow?

1.  Check the label of your pillow and determine whether it is machine washable. Down and synthetic down pillows are usually machine washable. Other types usually need to be dry cleaned or spot cleaned.
2. Wash your pillow once or twice every six months if it is washing machine washable. Use the hot water setting and mild liquid detergent. Put two pillows at the same time into the machine with detergent, and a second rinse cycle without the detergent.
3. Dry your pillow on a low heat setting or air only setting. Thoroughly dry it and make sure you have no moist clumps which may encourage mould growth.
4. As a rule of thumb fluff your pillow daily if it is a feather pillow or if it has shredded material filling. This will help it maintain its shape.

 

What About Pillow Covers?

Pillow covers are an essential component of pillows. You should always use your pillows with pillow covers and a pillowcase.

Pillowcases should be changed regular. If you can get a pillow protector with a zipper, enclose your pillow in it then slip on the pillowcase.

This will help prevent your dead skin, hair and oils from seeping into the pillow.

A protective case can double the lifespan of your pillows.

Be sure to change your pillowcases and wash them every 3 to 4 weeks.

source https://www.tshirtbed.eu/how-often-should-you-replace-pillows/

Stages of Sleep and Sleep Cycles

The typical sleep pattern has four stages: 1, 2, 3, and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. These stages are usually cyclical and start with 1 then proceed through to REM before starting all over again.

A complete sleep cycle is typically 90-110 minutes with the stages about 5-15 minutes long each. The first sleep cycles typically have short REM sleeps and long deep sleep as the night progresses. Later in the night REM periods become longer as deep sleep shortens.

 

The Different Stages of Sleep?

There are four distinct sleep stages: REM sleep, and Non REM sleep that is divided into three – (Stages 1, 2, 3). Persons typically have short periods of wakefulness that may be intermittent or even occur before the different stages of sleep or happen when one is shifting sleeping positions.

Wake is the period when muscle tone and brain wave activity are at the most active.

Stage 1

NREM sleep happens in this stage which also happens to the lightest of all sleep stages. It is characterized by slow eye movement and is typically the stage where sleep can be easily disrupted by arousals and awakenings as one is normally just drowsy.

Brain activity slows down from wakefulness as the body relaxes from the reducing muscle tone. In rare cases, persons may experience abrupt muscle spasms, hypnic jerks and may even get a feeling of falling as they drift in and out of the stage.

Stage 2

Stage 2 of sleep is considered by experts as the first stage of NREM sleep. Arousals and awakenings are rare in Stage 1 with slow-moving eye rolls ceasing. The slowdown of waves continues with sleep spindles (intermittent bursts of rapid activity) intermingles with K complexes (sleep structures).

Both K complexes and sleep spindles are believed to work to protect the brain from involuntary awakening once the person sleeps. The heart rate slows down and the body temperature gradually goes down.

Stage 3

Deep NREM sleep happens in stage 3. The third stage combines slow and delta waves and is usually the most restorative sleep stage. Arousals and awakenings are rare in the stage and it may be difficult to awaken many people in this stage.

Parasomnias (night terrors, somniloquy, sleep talking, and sleepwalking happen during the deepest phase of stage 3.

REM Sleep

REM sleep alternatively referred to as rapid eye movement is known for the most part as the dreaming stage. Eye movements are side to side rapid and the brain waves get even more active as compared to stage 2 and 3. Arousals and awakenings are more frequent in REM. It is at this stage where being woken up leaves one feeling over sleepy and groggy.

During this stage a person can hold an intelligible conversation, they are responsive to external stimuli, and have their eyes open.

It is a transition between sleep and wakefulness. Most people will claim they were not asleep if they are awakened in this stage. Most of the light sleep happens in this stage that is also characterized by slow waves on the EEG, synaptic pruning, and memory consolidation.

The brain waves are similar to when one is awake and most dreams especially the most vivid will happen in the stage. The body is typically still during this stage.

luxury bedding for better sleep pattern

What Is a Sleep Cycle?

A sleep cycle refers to how one progresses through the different stages of NREM sleep through to REM sleep before it goes back to start in NREM. The normal person goes through a sleep cycle once every 90 – 120 minutes, which produces an average of four to five cycles a night.

However, no one goes from deep sleep to REM sleep but rather they proceed from non-REM sleep then to light sleep before ending up in deep sleep. They will then go from deep sleep to light sleep and finish off with REM before going back to light sleep.

Most people will typically have a sleep cycle that is characterized by short

Stage 1 phase where they experience slow rolling eye movements in a drowsy state combined with their bodies relaxing. While awakenings and arousals are common in this stage, it is still a critical stage as it sets the stage for the body to get into stage 2 – the first stage of the important NREM sleep.

Stage 2 is typically longer than stage 1 and for many people, it averages 40 – 60% of all the time spent sleeping.

Stage 3 in the sleep cycle is the next stage in the sleep cycle. It is a short sleep stage lasting an average of 5 – 15% of all time spent sleeping, though it is the most restorative. For adolescents and children, the stage usually takes a lot more of total sleep time.

REM can kick in at any time during the cycle though it will start at about 90 minutes after one starts sleeping. It is a short stage that forms the first REM of the sleep cycle. After REM the process goes right back to the beginning to go through stage 1, 2, and 3 combined with a return to REM, which progressively gets longer as one spends more time asleep.
For how long does the sleep cycle last? The first sleep cycle averages 90 minutes. Following that it rises to an average of 100 – 120 minutes. These combined cycles will typically take one through four or five cycles every night.

 

What Is Deep Sleep?

Stage 3 of NREM sleep is where deep sleep occurs. During this stage, the person experiences delta waves so called because they are brain waves with very large amplitude and slow speeds. While it is not that long it is the stage where the person will not be easily affected by external stimuli, which makes it the most restorative.

It can be difficult getting someone in deep sleep to wake up. After a person is deprived of sleep for a significant period of time, they tend to spend a lot of time in stage 3. Parasomnias such as bedwetting, night terrors, sleep talking and sleepwalking may occur. (Muscle activity makes people kick or talk in their sleep).

Deep sleep being the most restorative tends to reduce the drive for sleep. As such, one can still fall asleep during the night, even if they take a short nap in the afternoon. Nonetheless, taking a longer sleep in the day can make it difficult to fall into deep sleep since it reduces the sleep drive.

Human growth hormone which releases stress and restores the muscles and the entire body is usually produced during deep sleep. It also does restore the immune system. Nonetheless, there is much less information on deep sleep as compared to REM sleep. One unconfirmed effect of deep sleep is that it allows the brain to refresh so that it can take in new knowledge the following day.

 

When Does REM Sleep Occur?

A person’s sleep time is an average of 6 – 8 hours which sleep experts typically divide into two halves. For most people, the first half combines stage 2 and 3 and sporadic remission into short REM periods and stage 1 sleep. Over the course of the night stage 3 lasts less, stages 1 and 2 are relatively the same while REM become longer.

A person will typically have 3 – 5 REM periods during their sleep time with the longest of those coming right before they wake up for the day.

If they are woken before they get out of the REM period, they can get onto sleep inertia where they will feel heightened sleepiness that could be anything from several hours or just a few minutes.

People typically have shallow, irregular, and rapid breathing, temporary limb paralysis, and jerky eye movements in the REM period. The person will also experience higher brain wave activity similar to when they are awake.

Moreover, they will also experience an increase in blood pressure, heart rate, lose the ability to regulate body temperature and for males, they may get an erection.

 

In What Stage of Sleep Do Dreams Occur?

REM is an active sleep state where you are likely to have the most intense dreams. The rapid eye movements that happen during the stage are seen as rapid and sharp movements. Brain waves in REM sleep are mixed frequency and low amplitude waves that are higher than those common in stage 2 and 3.

A person will typically have an average of 4 -6 dreams every night. According to a French research study, everyone dreams even though some do not remember their dreams. However, a person will often remember their dreams if you happen to wake them up while they are in the REM sleep stage.

REM sleep is the stage where muscle paralysis occurs. The muscle paralysis also known as muscle atonia is a mechanism that prevents one from acting out their dreams. Persons with sleep apnea usually suffer the most during this stage as they lose muscle tone, particularly in the airways.

According to scientists, the sleep paralysis protects one from injury as they will not move limbs and body when acting out their dreams.

Respirations tend to become shallow and irregular, and heart rate and body temperatures become irregular during REM sleep

 

Brain Waves During Non-REM and REM Sleep

REM sleep was only discovered in 1953 when we finally had the machines that could effectively monitor brain wave activity. This just goes to show how young the field of sleep research is. Before the discovery, most scientists were of the opinion that a sleeping person did not have any brain activity.

Since 1953 scientists have debunked the idea that a lack of REM sleep could result in insanity though there is evidence that relieves symptoms of clinical depression. Recent research has linked memory and learning to REM sleep.

Brain Waves During the Sleep Cycle
Stage Frequency (Hz) Amplitude (micro Volts) Waveform type
Awake 15-50

source https://www.tshirtbed.eu/stages-of-sleep-and-sleep-cycles/

Guide For Choosing the Best Bed Sheets for Great Night’s Sleep

A good night’s sleep is incredibly essential for your overall health and one of the ways to achieve this is sliding into a good and comfortable set of fitted bed sheets at the end of a long day.

If you’ve ever spent a night in a luxury hotel bed, then you know exactly how it feels. It’s one of the greatest pleasures in life.

We spend almost a third of our lives between our sheets, and so luxury bed linen can be really rewarding.

But let’s face it, choosing the best sheets can be an overwhelming and difficult task. Fortunately, we’ve made the processes a lot easier for you, and this is how to go about it.

Deciding on the type of fabric for your bed linen can be difficult customers are spoilt for choice when it comes to bed sheet materials.

What Are The Most Popular Bedding Fabrics:

 

·Silk

If you live in a cold climate region, then silk sheets might be an excellent option as it traps and contains a good amount of warmth. Soothing and luxurious, silk is gentle and comfortable on the skin. The only downside with silk luxury bedding though is that, you’ll either need to purchase a dry cleaner or prepare yourself for a dry cleaning service to keep sheets always functional and in good quality.

 

·Linen

First off, linen offers a light massaging effect. Also, it is stronger than cotton fabric. This material is more ideal for hotter climates than the cooler ones, as it has high heat conductivity and permeability properties. Unfortunately though, bed linen is prone to wrinkles.

 

·Cotton and polyester

Polyester is often blended with cotton fibers to make a more affordable fabric, which is both breathable and sweat resistant. You can get nice looking bed sheets of any color and design; however, they don’t feel as great on the skin.

 

·Egyptian cotton

Egyptian is the basically the gold standard when it comes luxury bedding fabrics. Unlike the normal cotton varieties, the authentic Egyptian cotton is a lot softer. However, the bed sheets come at a price, as they tend to have higher thread counts.

 

·Pima cotton

Just as with Egyptian cotton, Pima cotton also offers exceptional quality. They are both classified as extra-long staple cotton, producing a luxuriously and incredibly stronger soft fabric that’s resistant to tearing, fraying, wrinkling, pilling, and fading. Weave method

 

·Muslin and/ or percale

Percale is finer than muslin, and these bed linens can easily be differentiated using thread count. Percale has a thread count ranging from 180 to 300. Muslin, on the other hand, ranges from 140 to 180

 

·TShirt Bed Jersey Linen

Our TShirt Bedding is made from 100% cotton and woven instead of knitted, which gives it a real feel of 800 thread count. It helps you remain cool in the summer and warm in the winter months , as well as remaning crease free so no more ironing your bedding

You could also opt for the sateen, flannel, Oxford, or jersey knit. Sateen is silkier, flannel is the warmest, jersey knit is stretchy, and Oxford is heavier. Don’t ignore the thread counts! We’ve mentioned thread counts a couple of times, but what exactly does the term mean?

Well, simply put, it is the number of threads that are woven together in order to create one square inch of fabric. This one of the easy way to measure sheet quality, as higher thread counts indicate higher quality. More threads also mean bed linen that’s softer on your skin.

 

Extra Shopping Tips for Luxury Bed Sets

To help you make an informed purchasing decision, here are a few other tips you’ll need to consider.

 

·How often will you need to iron your bed sheets?

If you don’t like ironing your cotton sheet, then TShirt Bed sheet sets are for you.

 

·Always go for a variety of colors and designs

Thanks to the advancement of technology, getting great designs and colors of bed linen has become incredibly a lot easier.

With a variety of colors, you can easily add a great aesthetic appeal that completely transforms your bed and room. Decorative cushions and throw pillows can also add magic to the transformation.

However, don’t go overboard with this.

The idea is just to make your room peaceful for a great night’s sleep. If you want to transform your bed styling and colors but don’t have enough money for new bed linen, chucking a throw over the bottom of your bed can be an excellent and cheaper option. Fitted Sheets and duvet covers with a neutral color deliver the best results.

 

·100% Cotton woven bed sheets are the best!

If you want a naturally breathable fabric, the best choice is to look for bed sheets made from 100 percent cotton that are knitted and not woven, just like our TShirt Bedding.

There are a few other possible favourite sheets out there such as parachute linen sheets, sateen sheet set, brooklinen luxe core sheet set, supima cotton, sateen weave and casper sheets which are all worth a final mention.

Obviously though we are a little biased towards our own soft silky smooth, softness to the touch TShirt linen bedding to improve your sleep health and make your deep pocket sprung bed feel so much more luxurious.

There you have it!

source https://www.tshirtbed.eu/best-bed-sheets/